Woodley, who was arrested and charged with criminal trespassing in October during a protest, said she was compelled to spend the holiday at the site because she felt few truly understood the true violent history behind Thanksgiving.

"Today is a day that many call Thanksgiving. It's a day where elementary school kids across America are taught false narratives about our native brothers and sisters," an emotional Woodley said. "None of our children know the truth about what happened to Native Americans when westerners decided to colonize this country."

Woodley continued, "We're here on Thanksgiving...a day that no one knows the history about. Thanksgiving was founded on a massacre. And we're here with these cops and snipers with rubber bullets. I'm just sick of it."

Dakota Access Pipeline protesters vowed Saturday to remain in their camp after the Army Corps of Engineers told them to leave the federal land they've occupied.

Activists protesting the continued construction of the pipeline were told to shut down one of their camps by Dec. 5 in a letter sent to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe's leader by the Army Corps.

But tribal leader Dave Archambault and other protest organizers said intend to stay in the Oceti Sakowin camp — one of three camps near the construction site — which would have been shut down by the encampment.